A new bill signed into law by President Trump aims to change how federal elections work in the U.S. Following his return to office in January, Trump signed several controversial executive orders, including one titled *“Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.”*
The order claims, *“The United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections,”* and compares U.S. practices unfavorably to countries like India and Brazil, which link voter ID to biometric data.
The House recently passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, requiring voters to show *“documentary proof of U.S. citizenship”* when registering for federal elections. Acceptable IDs include passports, military IDs, and REAL ID-compliant documents.
The bill also mandates cooperation between states and federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security to share voter data and track violations.
Critics argue the law could disenfranchise millions. Democrat Nikema Williams called it *“a poll tax, plain and simple.”* She noted that many Americans lack passports or birth certificates, with passports costing $165. In contrast, Republican Mary Miller argued, *“You need an ID for most everything else in daily life.”*
Trump said after signing the order, *“Election fraud. You’ve heard the term. We’re going to end it, hopefully.”*
